Circuit maker and breaker



330 Hanging v N Q R :liili INVENTOR.

G'eare km :11 in I 4 ATT ORNEY Ill .l ...l "n.

G. L. SMITH. CIRCLHT MAKER AND BREAKER.

FIIED MAY 10 1920 Jan. 30, 1923.

Patented Jan. 30, 11923.

attain Parent estates.

GEORGE L. SMITH, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

CIRCUIT MAKER AND BREAKER.

Application filed. may 10,

T 0 all whom it may concern 4 Be it known that l, Gnonon L. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain. new and useful linprovements in Circuit Makers and Breakers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to circuit makers and breakers and while capable in principle of various applications it is particularly adapted for use in association with my improved signalling system for automotive vehicles described and claimed in my copending application filed May 10, 1920 Ser. No, 380,368. i

It is the purpose of my invention to provide a maker and breaker for use in motor vehicles signalling which will enable such signalling to be effected in code with abso- I parting from the scope of the appended lute identity in respect to each repetition of the same signal whether it be only audible or of the simultaneous audible and visual type; which will reduce to a minimum the possibility of a mistake in the signalling controlled thereby by being operable in a manner corresponding to the vehicle movement intent of the driver; which can be constructed to control signalling in any desired code; and which can be operated with the same case and facility as the ordinary signalling push button now used for that purpose on motor vehicles.

I will describe my invention in the best.

form known to me at present and as associated with a signalling system for motor vehicles of the type described and claimed in my aforesaid copending application; but it will be apparent that the same can be associated with other signalling systems or can be utilized in principle in the construction of makes and breaks not employed in signalling. Furthermore, it will be apparent that my invention is susceptible to chan s in forms and proportions and to desirab e additions with the exercise of only ordinary mechanical skill and without declaims.

In describing my invention reference will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a circuit maker and breaker constructed in accord- 1920. Serial No. 380,369.

ance with my invention to efiect signalling in code and shown operatively associated with the motor vehicle signalling system illustrated and described in my aforesaid copending application; the section being in a vertical plane that would lie parallel to the longitudinal axis of amotor vehicle having the maker and breaker operatively mounted on the steering column thereofy Fig. 2, a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a plan view of the invention;

Fig. 4, a section on the line 44 of Fig. 1 With the actuating casing and spring removed;

Fig. 5, a graphic illustration of the operating surfaces of the actuator; and

Fig. 6, a graphic illustration of the numher and duration of makes and breaks produced by each movement of the actuator.

Referring now to the drawin the signalling system illustrated in ig. 1 and which is controlled by my improved circuit maker and breaker, is identical with that described and claimed in my copending application serially numbered 380,368, and therefore need not be described in detail other than to state that such system embodies vehicle head lights A and B, a tail light C, a horn D, a battery E, a distributor G, and various connections between the lights, horn, distributor, and battery to complete the various circuits.

My improved circuit maker and breaker is shown as comprising a tubular post 10 suitably shaped to be mounted on the steering column of a motor vehicle in place of the usual horn push button. This post has an enlarged lower end with its bore correspondingly enlarged at that point to receive and carry aterminal block 11 of suitable 1I1S11- lat-ing material and mounted in thls block is a feed line terminal 12, a light circuit terminal 13 and a horn circuit terminal 14 connected respectively to proper conductors of the signalling system as fully described in my copending application.

Secured to the terminal 12 is a sprlng contact 15 normally out of engagement with the contacts 13 and 1st and adapted to be forced into simultaneous engagement therewith by downward movement of a plunger 16 slidable in the bore of the post 10. It will be here observed that when the terminals 12, 13 and 14 are all electrically connected by the contact 15, the horn circuit and one of the light circuits of the system will be closed to simultaneously produce an audible and visual element of apredetermined code signal.

The post 10 is provided with downwardly diverging side faces which form a seat for corresponding downwardly diverging portions 17 of a bearing plate 18 having arms 18 and 18 adapted to be secured to a spark and throttle lever quadrant so as to prevent rotation of the device when such leveris moved. The plate 18 above the downwardly diverging portions 17 is provided with a substantially pyramidal portion including sides 19, 20, 21 and 22 formed respectively of arcs of circles struck from centers 19, 20 21 and 22".

Enga ed over the post 10 is a casing or button I-I formed of a lower section 23 having a square opening 24 of a size to snugly surround the pyramidal portion of the plate 18 at the centers 19, 20, 21 and 22, the section thus resting at the intersections of the sides of the downwardly diverging portion 17 and the sides of the pyramidal portion of the plate 18. The section 23 is yield ingly held in place in axial alinement with the post 10 by a spring 24 the upper end of which bears against a nut 25 on the post 10 and its lower end against the section 23.

Engaged on the section 23 is the upper section 26 of the casing or button and formed within this section, preferably by stamping, are grooves 27, 28, 29 and disposed in alined pairs and intersecting at right angles at a point in axial alinement with the plunger 16, the grooves 27, 28, 29 and 30 thus forming a four way guide for the upper end of the plunger. The depth of each groove varies and an irregular groove bottom is thus formed which coacts with the upper end of the, plunger as the latter travels in a given groove to impart an up and down movement thereto for the purpose of operating the contact 15 to make and break the horn and light circuits of the system.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the casing H can be rocked in four difi'erent directions and when the device is properly mounted upon a motor vehicle these directions of movement will bear a definite relation to the longitudinal and transverse axes of the motor vehicle. To cause the 1 upper end of the pluiiger 16 to travel in the groove 28 the casing is pivoted or rocked on the center 19 and this movement is utilized to effect a signal indicating that the driver intends to go straight ahead. When the casing H is rocked on the center 20 the upper end of the plungerv16 travels in the groove 27 and the signal resulting is intended to indicate that thedriver is about to slow down. Again, when the casing H is pivoted on the center 22* which produces a groove 30 which will produce a signal showing the intent of the driver to turn to the left. It will of course be understood that r the bottom of each of these grooves is given a different shape from that of any of the other grooves so that each movement of the casing H. heretofore described will cause makes and breaks of the circuits of the sys tem which vary in number and duration from those produced by any other movement thereof. In other words each signal lpr duced by each movement of the case is made up of code elements and a desirable arrangement of the bottom of the grooves 27, 28, 29 and 30 is shown graphically in Fig. 5 wherein 31 indicates the construction of the bottom of the groove 28, 32 the construction of the bottom of the groove 27, 33 the construction of the bottom of the roove 29, and 34 the construction of the ottom of the groove 30. It will be noted that by the construction of the bottoms of the grooves 27, 2B, 29 and 30 in the manner illustrated the character of the signal produced by the travel of the upper end of the plunger 16 in each groove is symmetrical. By this I mean that each signal, except 1n the case of ahead signal which is one continuous sound or flash, is similar in characteristics at both its beginning and end. In this manner I employ both the movement from and the movement to the neutral pos1- tion of the casing H in producing the signal thereby insuring the returnof the casing to its neutral position upon completion of any signal. This feature ensures greater accu racy of transmission should the person receiving the signal miss a part of same thus, should the first short element of the right signal be missed its identity would 1 5 still be apparent as no other signal used has one short element following a long one or should one of the four -short elements of the rear signal be missed the other three would still identify it as no other signal is composed entirely of short elements. Likewise the same holds good for the left signal as no other signal has two short elements preceding and following one long one. It will also be noted that I desire to effect the production of the long element in the right and left signals by a' pause in the movement of the casing in its extreme throw to the right or left as will be obvious. In Figure 6 I have "graphically illustrated the number and duration of the makes and breaks produced by each movement of the casing H.

It will also be noted that the character of the signals made by movement of the casing H in any one of the four directions specified will depend upon the character of the bottom surfaces of the grooves 27, 28, 29 and 30 in which the head or upper end of the plunger 16 travels and not upon the volition of the operator, with the result that all signals will be distinctive, identical and incapable of variation after the device is once constructed.

1 claim 1. A circuit maker and breaker for controlling a signalling circuit for motor vehicles, comprising a single contact maker and breaker, a member having movements in a plurality of directions, and a plurality of means corresponding in number to the movements of the member and operated selectively by predetermined movements of said member to actuate the contact maker and breaker, each of said means when operated coacting with said single contact maker and breaker to produce a signalling result different from the signalling result produced by the operation of any of the other of said means.

2. A circuit maker and breaker for controlling a signalling circuit for motor -vehicles, comprising a single contact maker and breaker, a member having movements in a plurality of directions from a neutral position and return, and a plurality of means corresponding in number to the movements of the member and operated selectively by predetermined movements of said member to actuate the contact maker and breaker, each of said means When operated coacting with said single contact maker and breaker to produce a signalling result different from the signalling result produced by the operation of any of the other of said means.

3L A circuit maker and breaker for controlling a signalling circuit for motor vehicles, comprising a contact making device, a member having movements in a plurality of directions from a neutral position and return about a plurality of centers, and a plurality of means corresponding in number to the movements of the member and operated selectively by predetermined movements of said member to actuate the contact device, each of said means when operated coacting with the contact device to produce a signalling result difi'erent from the signalling result produced by the operation of any of the other of said means.

4. A circuit maker and breaker for con trolling a signalling circuit for motor vehicles, comprising a single contact maker and breaker, a member having pivotal movement in a plurality of directions, and a pluhicles, comprising a single contact maker and breaker, a member having pivotal movement in a plurality of directions from a neutral position and return, and a plurality of means corresponding in number to the movements of the member and operated selectively by predetermined movements of said member to actuate the contact maker and breaker, each of said means when operated coacting with said single contact maker and breaker to produce a signalling result different from the signalling result produced by the operation of any of the other of said means.

6. A circuit maker and breaker for controlling a signalling circuit for motor vehicles, comprising a contact making device, a memberhaving pivotal movement in a plurality of directions from a neutral position and return about a plurality of centers, and a plurality of means corresponding in nu'mberv to the movements of the member and operated selectively by predetermined movements of said member to actuate the contact device, each of said means when operated coacting with the contact device to produce a signalling result different from the signalling result produced by the operation of any of the other of said means.

7. A circuit maker and breaker for controlling a signalling circuit for motor ve hicles, comprising a single circuit making and breaking device normally yieldingly held in one circuit controlling position, an

a member movable in a plurality of directions and having a plurality of differently shaped surfaces coacting respectively with the device during respective movements of the member to operate said device.

8. A circuit maker and breaker for controlling a signalling circuit for motor vehicles, comprising a single circuit making and breaking device normally yieldingly held in one circuit controlling position, and a member movable in a plurality of directions from and to a neutral position and having a plurality of difi'erently shaped surfaces coacting respectively with the device during respective movements of the member to operate said device.

9. A circuit maker and breaker for con; trolling a signalling circuit for motor vehicles, comprising a contact making device,

and a member movable in a plurality of directions from a neutral position and return about a plurality of centers and having a plurality of differently shaped surfaces coacting respectively with the device during respective movements of the member to operate said device.

10. A circuit maker and breaker, comprising a contact making and breaking device including a reciprocating element, a casing receiving and having movement relative to the element in a plurality of directions, from and to a neutral position, said casing being provided with a plurality of interior grooves radiating from a point through which a portion of the element passes respectively during respective movements of the casing, and means on the bottoms of said grooves for actuating the element and thereby the device during movement of the casing.

11. A circuit maker and breaker, comprising a contact making and breaking device including a reciprocating element, a casing receiving and having movement relative to the element in a plurality of directions, from and to a neutral position, said casing being provided with a plurality of interior grooves radiating from a point through which a portion of the element passes respectively during respective movements of the casing, and means on the bottom of each groove for actuating the element during each movement of the casing to produce aplurality of makes and breaks difi'erent in number from those produced by the actuation of the element by any other movement of the casing.

12. A circuit maker and breaker for controlling signal circuits of motor vehicles, comprising a contact device, a reciprocating element cooperating with said contact device, and means for operating the reciprocating element and thereby the contact device to produce a varying plurality of makes and breaks by movement of-said means in a plurality of directions from and to a neutral position, said plurality of makes and breaks being invariable for any one movement of said means and differing from that produced by any other movement of said means.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' GEORGE L. SMITH. Witnesses:

HENRY T. BRIGHT, CARROLL BAILEY. 

